Amsterdam with a side of Zaandijk

Last Updated on February 19, 2024 by Travelationship

Embarrassingly, my knowledge of the Netherlands was stereotypical: legal drugs, red light district, windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, and Anne Frank.

Amsterdam was the first stop on our two-month trip to Europe and Africa. It was our first overseas trip together. I was excited, but I had some nerves on alert, too. On top of that, we were staying with a high school friend of mine, whom we will call G. I hadn’t seen G for years. Not only was I nervous about seeing her and meeting her family, but I was nervous about intertwining Matt into the mix while renewing my old friendship.

Welcome to Amsterdam

Looking back, Amsterdam was a bit of a blur; I vividly remember visiting the Anne Frank house, Zaandijk, and spending time with a great family on their houseboat. I am not usually an emotional traveler. This is only one of less than a handful of trips where I felt overcome by nervous emotions rather than my general excitement to travel. With all that said, it was one of my most memorable trips because it was so emotionally driven.

Not all trips are destined only to teach you about the location. If you are lucky, serendipity plays a part and lights a spark in your mind and heart. Our trip started at a train station, Starbucks. We waited for G to come and pick us up in her new city, Amsterdam. I wasn’t sure I would recognize her, but I knew it was her as soon as she walked in. It had been so long since we had seen each other, and she hadn’t aged a bit. My nerves subsided, and it was time for introductions.

“This is Matthew. My, um, well, this is Matthew.” In that instance, I realized I had met, quit my job, up and left, and moved with this guy I had known for three months. It was one of those “Oh Geez?” and “Hell Yeah!” moments all in one. I remember looking at him, locking eyes and super confidently saying, “Let’s go!”

We walked through the streets along the canals in downtown Amsterdam to their houseboat. It was so cool. And when I say so cool, I mean a houseboat in Amsterdam couldn’t be more perfect. Their houseboat, in particular, was really fricken cool. It was spacious and comfortable, right in the middle of the city. She and her family made us feel right at home. Dank u wel, G!

Anne Frank House:

As a kid, quite a few of us read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank in school. For those of you who have read the book, you know it is a horrific true story account of a young girl and her family hiding in an Amsterdam home during WWII. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you do. To see in person what this young girl described so vividly in her diary left everyone visiting speechless. The museum is beautiful, and I believe it is a must-see for everyone who visits Amsterdam. To avoid the line, the museum website offers pre-purchase tickets. I highly recommend purchasing your ticket in advance. The line was down the street and around the corner when we exited. Check their website for updates and hours.

A Day Trip to Zaandijk

Zaandijk is exactly what I thought of when I thought of the Netherlands. Windmills, flowers, wooden shoes, and farm animals. It is a perfect day trip about 20 kilometers north of Amsterdam. We found the train the cheapest and easiest way to get there. From the train, take a short walk over the bridge over the Zaan River to Zaanse Schans. This is where my cheesiest, cheesy tourist side came out. Amsterdam is wonderful and fun, but this place is as close to my perfect image of Holland as I could imagine.

You get to tour inside some of the windmills, talk to locals, eat cheese and chocolate, pet domestic farm animals, and admire beautiful grassy and floral landscapes, and you also get to play with, in and around, wooden shoes. I am sorry to every Dutch person I offended, but come on; this place is the perfect tourist haven. I mean that in a good way. Remember, we were there in the fall, and the tourist season was almost over. The day we went, it was overcast, windy, and cold. Even with the crappy weather, I enjoyed it. On a sunny day, get your food and picnic by the water.

The Food: 

Amsterdam has a variety of restaurants with every cuisine in the world. I can’t say we had a bad meal while we were there. Ask the locals where to eat. The restaurants we found off the beaten path were the ones we liked the best. We seemed to get hung up on pancakes and beer while we were there.

Our favorite meal was at Eeetcafe Van Beeren at Koningsstrat 54, 1011 EW Amsterdam. Unfortunately, we don’t have any photos of that meal, but let me tell you, it was delicious. I had a beef stew, and Matt had some schnitzel. Go, you will love it!

Our not-what-we-expected meal was at Cafe de Doelen, located at Kloveniersburgwal 125, 1011 KC Amsterdam. I asked for the most ethnic item on the menu, and the waitress brought me an ossenworst sandwich. It wasn’t quite what I was looking for, but ossenworst and cured meats are very popular Dutch foods. This sandwich was a slightly salt-cured raw beef burger with pickles, lettuce, and cucumbers. I am not sure I will ever order ossenworst again, but I did like the restaurant and would recommend it.

Things to do:

It may sound obvious, but if you are into Dutch painting masters, you couldn’t be in a better place. The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum reside in Amsterdam, only a few hundred yards from each other. These two museums will satisfy all your Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and Steen aspirations, among others, on display at these institutions.

My other two recommendations are simple ones. Amsterdam is a very walkable city; it is very flat, and there are interesting things waiting to be discovered all over the city. Walking the streets or canals is an excellent way to pass the time. Keep your eye out for some of Amsterdam’s colorful street art.

After your stroll through the city, or while on your stroll, drop by the Flower Market, located off of Singel Canal between Koningsplein and Muntplein. It is an excellent outdoor market offering more than just flowers.

Red Light District:

You can’t write a travel article about Amsterdam without mentioning the Red Light District. For starters, it makes up a minuscule area of the city. It is two parallel main streets, each a few blocks long, with two interconnected alleys. Also, the business in the district only makes up the ground floor, with most buildings having at least four levels total. Sometimes, you can see traces of the business going to the sub-street level floors, but it is rare. Homes make up the remainder of the building floors, so you can walk down one of the streets and see a lady working in one window and a family sitting down to dinner in the window above. 

There are two things to note about the district. 1) The ladies initiate all the events via a wink. If you are walking the streets and a woman winks at you through her window, and you are interested, you wink back, then she may open her door to begin negotiations. Again, to lay it out for those over-eager fellows, the women are in control of the whole process, and she also has security guards to help enforce the rules.  2) The narrower the street or alley you are on, the higher the price will be.  For clarification, the main drag will be the cheapest, but as you wind down some of the alleys where there is only enough room for one person to walk at a time, that will be the most expensive.  *Also No Photography is allowed inside the Red Light District, this is enforced.

Travel Basics

Language:  Dutch and English

• Hello – Hallo (Hah-low)
• Goodbye – Dag (dakh)
• Please – Alstublieft (alst-oo-bleeft)
• Thank you – Dank u wel (dahnk oo vel)
• Where is the restroom? – Waar is het toilet (Heren = Men; Dames = Women)

Logistics:

Arrival:  By Train – This couldn’t be easier, Amsterdam Central Station, is right at the northern point of the center of the city. At this stage, it is easy for you to get anywhere within the city. If you have a distance to travel, taxis, buses, and trams are waiting for you right outside the station doors.

By Plane – The most popular airport to arrive at is Schiphol.  A 20-minute train ride will get you to Amsterdam Central for about €4, and 4-6 trains leave per hour, depending on the time of day.

Money Matters:

The Netherlands uses the Euro. I would recommend doing your conversions at the ATM. Be aware that your bank may charge you an out-of-network fee plus a conversion fee; check with your financial institution before leaving.

Tipping – Don’t worry about tipping if you get food at a takeaway counter.  Service will be included in your bill if you sit at a restaurant table. It is considered polite to give an additional 5-10%.  Taxis usually get a 5-10% tip.  Tipping at hotels is unnecessary, but it is a nice gesture to give a Euro to helpful attendants.

Recommendable: Yes! The Netherlands is great for new, single, and family travelers. Yes, families. The legal drugs and red light district is only one small Amsterdam area. It is super easy to walk Amsterdam, but even more fun – Rent a bike and peddle around the city at your leisure.

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